


More Than Glad

by Lucyemers



Series: Times Past [1]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: F/M, Love, Marriage, Pregnancy, slightly canon divergent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 17:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8762341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucyemers/pseuds/Lucyemers
Summary: They've only got two days for a wedding and honeymoon and some things you can't say in a letter.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Linguini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linguini/gifts).



She was going to have to take off her coat eventually. Fred had already tried once to help her off with it and she had claimed with forced nonchalance that she was still cold from the walk. When she had been a girl she had imagined herself shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine coming through the windows of a chapel, organ playing, white dress, train, veil. 

Perhaps not the freezing walk from the station, the unforgiving hard wood of the chairs in the lobby, the thick wool of the coat she was still clutching desperately. 

“Still cold? If anything I thought it was a bit stuffy in here.” He reached up, brushed the hair out of her eyes. They were still a bit shy with each other. She’d written her heart into letters, she’d known him and loved him for nearly a year now, and yet she could count the number of days they’d been able to spend together on one hand. Though of course at least one of those days had made all the difference. She leaned her face into his hand. She had not been shy when she’d seen him approaching on the platform. But they had so little time. Two days and they’d agreed before he arrived that they’d best make quick work of the ceremony. So businesslike, for something so personal. It was a quick walk to the magistrate’s office, quick and cold and she hadn’t plucked up the courage to say it. 

“You don’t feel cold. Warm really. Hope you’re not catching something.” She laughed. She couldn’t help it. It was absurd. 

“As if you don’t have more important things to worry about.” She said teasingly, taking his hand, squeezing it briefly.

“What’s more important on my wedding day than you? My bride?” he said in mock affront. She adored it when he did this, got a bit showy. She always wondered perhaps if he hadn’t seen too many films, but she loved him for it, and for how quickly a grand gesture could turn on a dime to complete earnestness. And so it did now as he eyed the matronly woman nodding and smiling approvingly as she pointedly looked down at the floor she was sweeping, doing a poor job disguising her obvious eavesdropping. 

He wrapped an arm round her, pulled her closer, spoke softly in her ear. “Honestly, though, tell me. What’s worrying you? Not...having second thoughts are you?” She could hear the pain in his voice. She couldn’t have that. She turned to face him. She took both his hands. “No”, she said firmly. “Never that. Don’t think it.” It was the only time she had felt her voice steady all day. She watched him visibly relax. She saw another thought occur to him. “You’re family isn’t here. Surely they’ll be here soon. We’re not in that much of a rush. We’ll wait if that’s what’s got you worried. Cold day...motor trouble maybe…” he was leaning back in his chair, muttering on about cars, now fully in control of the situation once more, now that she had cleared the worries from his mind, now that he was relaxing into his preferred role of taking care of her. She put a hand to his knee to get his attention and stopped him mid sentence.

“--Fred, they’re not coming”, she said abruptly. She started unbuttoning her coat at the collar.  
“What? Why?”, his eyes were all concern and anger, bless him for it. She continued, calmly, resigned. She was already unbuttoning her coat, and what had she expected? Not to tell him? To be bundled up in thick wool throughout their one day honeymoon? No, she had too many secrets already. Best say it, quickly and have it done. “Because I told them we’d already married. Four months ago.” 

“Why would you do that?” He asked it at the same moment that she finished unbuttoning the coat and stood. It was second nature for him to be up, on his feet, hands on her shoulders to help her off with it, and she felt rather than saw the moment he realized. She felt his hands tense and stayed turned away from him. “It didn’t feel right. To say something like that in a letter.” He turned her gently to face him. His eyes glancing briefly at her waist before taking her into his arms. “I’m sorry”, she said into his chest as he started to stroke her hair. “Shhh.” He whispered into her ear. “Don’t be sorry.” “You’re glad?” Her voice broke and she felt the tears on her cheeks. He wiped them away gently with his thumb, looking down into her eyes, still holding her to him. “More than glad love. So much more than glad.”

**Author's Note:**

> For the Tumblr prompt, "I'm pregnant".


End file.
